Missouri Planned Parenthood denies abortion record request

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — A Missouri Planned Parenthood branch was refusing Friday to give records related to abortions to the Republican-led state Senate.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri told The Associated Press Friday it won't provide a Senate committee with abortion procedure documents.

A Planned Parenthood lawyer in a letter to Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard questioned the Senate's authority to subpoena private organizations. It declined to provide documents of any incidents where an ambulance was called and cited patient privacy concerns.

Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer said Planned Parenthood was in contempt. He leads the committee reviewing abortion practices, launched after anti-abortion activists released videos they said showed Planned Parenthood personnel negotiating the sale of fetal organs.

As of Friday, the St. Louis Planned Parenthood was the only Missouri clinic providing abortions.